


Back to the Start (A Better One)

by orphan_account



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human/Troll Society, Collegestuck, F/F, F/M, M/M, davekat - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-11
Updated: 2013-12-16
Packaged: 2018-01-04 07:58:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1078491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been a year after high school, and the group has fallen apart. But that changes when they all meet back up in college. Dave and Karkat are still dancing around each other. Terezi and Vriska are still messing around, and things that should have happened a long time ago are about to. Everything is fitting like a puzzle piece.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In Which It All Begins

Karkat Vantas slammed his door shut and turned around.

"That was close.” Dave Strider said, seemingly unnerved by Sollux Captor and Eridan Ampora making out.

“Close? That was more than close. That was by a centimeter, less than that.”

"Calm down, it's not like we don't have any where to go,” He said, pointing to the door behind him.

Karkat grunted in response, and followed the human in to his room. John and Dave hadn't managed to make a mess of it yet, and most of their dirty clothes and random papers were hidden away beneath their beds. Some thing caught his eye, on what he was assuming got be Dave's dresser. It was a photograph. He picked it up.

It was from senior year, a party at Terezi's house after graduation. He was sitting on the couch with Dave and Sollux on either side of him. Terezi was sprawled out on his and Dave's laps, and Aradia was leaning in and kissing Sollux's cheek. Behind her Eridan and Feferi looked like they were slow dancing. Nepeta's head peeked out from under the coffee table, and Equis stood behind it with an awkward look on his face, next to Dirk and Jake, who were making out. Jane was setting down one of the best cakes Karkat had ever eaten on the table, while Rose was leaning against Kanaya's shoulder in the chair next to the couch. Tavros, Gamzee and Jade were putting bunny ears on Rose and Kanaya. John and Vriska stood on the other end of the room, Vriska's arm draped over his shoulder, she looked like she was explaining something very important. Roxy had taken the picture with out any of them knowing.

He remembered how they had all gotten high and played spin the bottle and ate all of Terezi's food. Their older siblings, other than Jake, Dirk, Roxy and Jane, were downstairs having their own party since they had already graduated from high school three years earlier. Jake and Dirk just got along better with them and Jane and Roxy were dead set on making as many cakes and cookies for them as possible.

He wished that they could all be in that room again, having fun and laughing. Honestly he didn't remember much of what happened after that, being high, but he did remember waking up in a pile with all his friends and Kankri yelling at him to get up and how high was he last night and did he realize how irresponsible that was now that he was going to be out in the world as an adult, and blah blah blah. It was one of the best nights of his life. Probably because he got to kiss Dave in spin the bottle. But just having fun with all his friends. They hadn't seen them in, how long was it? A year? He had taken a year off before college, as was customary with most of the people in their town. But he didn't go traveling like Aradia did, he didn't even get himself a decent job like the others had. He just hung out at home, figuring out what he wanted to even do.

It was annoying, the complete turn around in senior year, of suddenly having to know what he was going to college for. Karkat had decided that he was going to be a writer, because what else was he fucking good at? Most of his friends knew what they were going to do. Gamzee wasn't, and hadn't managed to keep a job for more than a few months in a long time because of his drug habit. The new job as a store clerk was working for him though. Karkat was glad that he worked there so buying groceries wasn't that awkward, even though things weren't like they used to be with him, being ex-moirails and then Gamzee filling a quadrant with Terezi.

Sollux and Terezi well, he hadn't spoken to them in a long time. Karkat wasn't really sure that they even wanted to. It had turned out that he and Sollux were sharing a dorm room. Karkat had walked in to the room holding his backpacks and noticeably double took, almost falling over.

“Sollux?” He had asked, though it was more of a statement since you can never forget the face of your best friend.  
“KK?” And Sollux punched him, “Where the fuck have you been?! A whole fucking year!”Karkat hugged him. “Sorry” “Jerk” “Yeah.”

Then they had caught up. And everything was exactly the same as things had been before. It was the same with Dave. Not that he would admit it, but Karkat was probably more exited to see Dave than he was Sollux. There was a certain crush that he most certainly did not have for a certain human.

Two weeks into classes, while he was hanging around Dave's room, he got a text.

Terezi began pestering Karkat

SUP K4RKL3S! 1V3 M1SS3D YOU W3 SHOULD H4NGOUT SOM3T1M3

HOWS D4V3? GOOD 1 HOP3

L1K3 1 S41D M1SS YOU SO 1F YOU 4NSW3R 1D L1K3 TO S33 YOU 4ND D4V3 4G41N

Karkat looked up from his phone and at the human messing with his turn tables. “Dave, Terezi is texting me.

“Well answer her then. When was the last time you talked?” Dave asked with out looking up. He hadn't really heard from her for a long time, though she did text him last week.

K4RK4T? YOU TH3R3?

H3Y 1TS NOT L1K3 1 SP3NT W33KS TRY1NG TO F1ND YOU

TURNS OUT W3 GO TO TH3 S4M3 COLL3G3

Karkat, I’m serious, why aren’t you answering me

HEY

WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN?

IN TH3 MOST 4M4Z1NG 1NT3RNSH1P 3V3R

Karkat relayed this information to Dave.

“Ask her about what she said earlier.” Dave said, leaning over his shoulder to see the conversation for himself.

WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT GETTING TOGETHER AT SOME POINT?

“Get off my shoulder."

Y34H, SO YOU W4NT TO M33T M3 4T TH3 COFF33 SHOP?

“Say yes. And ask what time.” Dave's chin was still digging into Karkat's shoulder in compliance with the earlier request.

“Jegus fuck Dave, what if I don't want to.” Karkat yelled at him. He did want to, but taking orders wasn't somehting he did lightly.

WH4T T1M3? 4ND C4N D4V3 COM3 TOO?

Y3S 1 M1SS D4V3 TOO

1 GU3SS 1LL S33 YOU 4T 10?

SURE.

OK4Y. SM3LL YOU TOMOROW

“I invited you, douchemuffin. We'll be there at ten tomorrow.”

“Okay. What makes you think that you'll be with me tomorrow morning? I thought that we were just friends.” Dave looked over at him and half smiled.

“You take things way too fucking seriously. And besides, my room is right next door so it's not like I won't see you.”

“Yeah right. Speaking of that lets go over there because I have no food in here yet. John hasn't gone shopping.”

“Ugh fine just hope that Eridain and Sollux are done.”

Dave glanced at his watch, “Yeah, we can listen at their door and be master spies.”

More like perverts, Karkat rolled his eyes as he got up from Dave's bed and over to the door, “Coming?”

“Only for you.”

Karkat decided that he was better off pretending not to have heard because there were too many times he had replied in the past and ended up just digging a hole for himself. He didn't have a single friend that didn't hit on him. He wasn't sure if he would be able to tell the difference between actual flirting or people messing with him.

Dave put his ear to the door, and after a few seconds nodded, “Right, I hear nothing.”

Karkat opened the door tentatively, and found it to just have Sollux on his computer, and Eridain passed out on the bed.

Sollux looked up fro his computer and smirked, “Hey loserth, it'th thafe to come in now.” He had kicked them out earlier.

“This better not be a regular thing, Sollux. I don't want to have to leave my own room just so you and Eridain can have sex all the time.” Karkat said as he went over to the kitchenette.

Sollux laughed and then glanced over at Eridan, “Nah, that thit thain better not be over here all the time.”

“WHAT QUADRANT ARE YOU EVEN IN?!” Karkat yelled.

Dave opened the cupboard and dug around for anything that wasn't ramen while Sollux and Karkat continued to yell at eachother. It was nostalgic, just like high school. When he and Sollux bumped into each other in the hall he had been surprised, thinking that he was long gone, just like Karkat and Terezi, and all of his old friends who hadn't talked to him in a year. But he wasn't,and it turns out that Karkat was ignoring him too, until they had gotten placed in the same room like Dave and John had been across the hall. He had gotten a text from Terezi for the first time in months, and then things had just started up again like they had in high school.

“KK, I'm tho over her. That was a long time ago. Jeguth fuck.” Sollux said as Dave tuned back into their conversation.

“That's not what you told me two days ago! You said you and Eridan were black and that you wanted to be matesprites with Feferi! Even though your moirails. Make up your mind.”

“Fine. I'll be matesprites with ED. Fuck FF.” Sollux paused, “Well, that would be cool....” He trailed off and Dave could feel Karkat tense up, frustrated even more with Sollux.

“Ok, so how about some ramen for dinner?”Dave butted in.

Sollux stood up, “Thure, jutht make thure that there'th no crumbth on the burnerth or the fire alarm will go off again.

Dave did not want to have to deal with the fire alarm again, so he made sure that there were definitely no crumbs on the burners. Karkat grabbed the packet from him and tore it open to prove that he could open it by himself, as a past argument said otherwise.

Dave turned around to Sollux waking Eridain up by kissing him. “Sol, keep it PG there are two other people in the room and I'm too sober to deal with you two having sex in front of me.”

“Heh heh, thure you wouldn't like that, DV?”

Eridan left for a class after stealing a packet of ramen. The rest of the night was spent eating the shitty ramen and playing video games. Karkat lost too many times and threw a fit, so he watched Sollux beat Dave for the rest of the night. It was not much of a match, and Sollux was cackling most of the time. Dave left around 10:30 and flopped down on his bead.

“Back already?” John asked from the couch, the movie lighting up his face in the dark.

“Yeah, I have a class in the morning.”His reply was muffled by the pillow and blankets covering his head.

John nodded. After a few more minutes writing his paper, he went to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few chapters are already written out so I will be updating regularly.


	2. Of Old Friends

 Dave woke up at 8 and rolled out of bed to take a shower. An hour later he texted Rose about borrowing her car for the morning. She agreed, but not with out playing twenty questions with him.

Twenty to ten Dave knocked on Karkat and Sollux's door and dragged out a grumbling troll. They rode over to the coffee shop in mostly quiet scilence. Karkat was distracted trying to come up with the best possible greeting that would make things less akward.

Karkat walked in to the shop behind Dave. They had gone here a lot when they were in high school. Terezi was sitting right nex ttot he door and got up the minute that she saw them.

“Karkat! Dave!” Her arms wrapped around both their necks.

“Sup TZ.” Dave replied.

“Hey.” Karkat said.

“Ok, sit down I'll go get you something.” She said pointing in the general direction of the table and going up to the counter.

“You ok, dude? You look like you just saw the troll messiah or whatever.”

Karkat's hand went to his face, “No I'm fine, Strider.”

Terezi came back a few minutes with coffee. “So what have you two been doing for a year?” She asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Oh my god Terezi! Really?!”

Dave rolled his eyes from behind hs shades, “I got a DJ job at the club on main street.”

Terezi smiled, “I'll have to come by sometime. I was interning at a law firm in tennasee and it got to be really intense. I only got to come back around the holidays, and both of you weren't around then.”

Dave had been dragged along with Dirk to Jake's house off in the middle of now where. It wasn't that bad since Jade was there too, but their grandpa was a bit of a recluse and kept on making comments on Jade and Dave. They hadn't really ever dated, but Dave knew she really liked him when they were younger. Aparentally that had passed though, at least according to John.

An hour passed, and then Karkat looked at his watch, “Dave, didn't Rose want her car back by 11:30?”

“Oh shit, yeah.” Dave looked at the female troll, “Wanna come back to our rooms? Got some pretty sick video games.”

“Yeah sure!” She smiled showing her pointed teeth and teal-tinted tounge.

As they were getting up Karkat shot a glare at Dave, which was returned by what Karkat could only assuming was a questioning glance. They talked all the way back to Karkat and Sollux's room, mostly making up the stories of the people they saw on the street. Sollux wasn't there when they got back, but they played video games until Karkat rage quit and then Terezi had to leave.

“Bye guys! I have to make sure Vriska knows I'm alive. We live in the other end of the building, by the wasy, so you two have to come and visit me sometime.”

“Vriska? How's that going I thought you two weren't talking.” Karkat asked.

Terezi's face dropped form a smile to looking far off, “Well.... It's complicated. I guess that we're letting bygones be bygones, and the fact that we have to room together the whole year means that we can't exactaly ignore eachother's existance.”

“Careful then Tez, Talk to you tomorow?”

“Yeah. You two have fun!” She winked as she walked out.

“You still like her, don't you, Karkat.” Dave stated after she shut the door.

Something about saying it rolled off his tounge wrong. Maybe _he_ still liked her. They had gone out for a whole year, before she started a black romance with Gamzee. It was a good year. Dave knew that Karkat liked her before then. Every one did. Karkat and Terezi had alwasys been friends, but they dirfted apart a little after she and Dave got together. But, Dave was pretty sure he was gay. _Wait, he didn't,_ Dave glanced at the nubby horned troll. His face, the piece of hair that always fell in his eyes, and how his hip thrarted a bit when he walked and shit. It wasn't Terezi he liked. It was _Karkat_.

“I do not! It's just akward I don't know how you two just picked up where you left off.”

Dve leared his throat, pulled out of his thoughts, “You two go back further than we do. It shouldn't be that hard to talk to her. I think that you're the one making it awkward.”

“It is. Anyway, get the fuck out I'm sick of talking for the month.”

“Alright, alright,” Dave raised his hands in fake surrender, “See ya tomorrow then.”

He went across the hall and found the room missing a certain John. He hadn't been there much. Dave wasn't sure who he was with all the time, or where, but he hoped he was having fun. He hadn't exactaly talked to him that much in the last few weeks since their scedules didn't match up at all.

After an hour of fucking around on the computer, and upating one of his blogs, he turned off his computer and went to sleep, the waves of light flickering across his face, and all he could think about was Karkat.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Karkat had never really knowen anything about Dave. They had mutual friends, namely Terezi and Jade, and after a long time, were comfterble in the same room together. When they had first met, Karkat will admit that he hated him. How close he got to Terezi, with whom Karkat was trying to start a matespriteship with at the time. Dave never hated him, but there had been a lot of tension that Terezi eventually got them to forget. Dave had actually dated her for a few months, but the whole quadrent thing was still weird to him. So Terezi also having a calenginious relationship at the same time with Gamzee was the end of their romantic relationship.

They really confused Karkat, they had broken things off Sophmore year, and yet even after that they would end every conversation they had with a <3, and would still go out just the two of them. Karkat had eventually just decided that his flush crush on her was pointless, and soon abandoned it for a different one. Dave. At least he thought. Maybe he liked him, maybe he didn't, Karkat wasn't sure. Well, actually he was. It was just a matter of ignoring it. And after highschool ended, he went into full hibernation mode, as Sollux called it. _“KK, you were even more secluded than I was.” He had said._ That was a year to ignore Dave, but ignoring the problem doesn't make it go away.

Karkat was thinking this over in his head as he walked back from his creative writing class to the lunch room. Terezi had texted him saying that there were a lot of the “old gang” there. _Like Vriska,_ He thought. He wasn't sure what Terezi saw in her, but last week she had said that “Yeah, maybe I still like her.” Hopefully it was a maybe because the idea of her in another relationship was worrying. The last time that she and Vriska had tried a relationship it had ended in Terezi sobbing his arms for hours, and Vriska apparentaly had been pretty broken up about it from what Kanaya had told him.

Speaking, well thinking, of Kanaya, he hadn't talked to her in a while. He planned to set up a time to see her sometime. They were moirails after all.

Terezi had been right, there were a lot of people he had gone to high school with there, including Vriska, who was sitting _right_ next to Terezi. On her other side was Dave talking to Sollux, and Jade and John were on the other side of the table. Rose and Kanaya, Eridain, and Nepeta were there as well. Said cat-girl saw him first and hopped up to greet him.

“Karkitty! I haven't seen you in such a long time!” She hugged him and pulled out a chair to make him sit.

“Hello Nepeta.”

“Karkat! You don't have lunch I'll go get you some!” Jade pointed out. She poked John on her way over to the cafeteria's food severs, and Karkat noticed John watching her leave for a little too long.

“What's your major? Mine's veternarian. Tavros is too, we have all our classes together!”

“That's pretty cool.” Karkat had a few classes with some of their friends, but not all of them.

They talked for a few more minutes before Jade came back with a slice fo pizzia and a soda in her hands,”Here, eat this Karkat.”

“Thanks I'll pay you back tomorow.”

“Hey KK, where are you going to be tonight?” Sollux asked him form across the table.

Karkat looked up and saw Sollux and Eridan looking at him expectantly, “Not at our room I guess. Eridan don't you have a dorm too?”

“Well, Fef's told me that she was having Nepeta over tonight.”

Karkat turned his head to the mentioned troll, her cheeks flushing olive green, “She did invite me o-fur tonight...”

Karkat sighed. He had to find a place to be for 5 hours, and most of the couples were hooking up for the friday night. Friday night was spent watching moies and messsing around on the computer, not fucking anyone. That was probably because he was single, and had no interest in those stupid one night stands.

“Kanaya, are you busy tonight?”

“Yes, I am. Why? Would you like to talk, we haven't really spoken in weeks.”

“Um, yeah. It's ok if your busy”He saw Rose smile a little. Damn what was it with all these fucking couples?

“Karkat, how about sunday night? That is the only evening I'm not busy.”

“Sunday's fine, I just need a place to go tonight.”

“Why don't you and Dave hang out. He's not doing anything tonight either.” Rose said, elbowing her brother.

“What?” He looked up from talking with John.

“Dave you and Karkat are going to hang out tonight.”

“I didn't agree to this!” Karkat said, glaring at Kanaya. She smiled a little.

After another half hour of haning out, Karkat went back to the dorm room and flopped down on his bed. Why did he always get stuck with Dave? In seventh grade, right after they met, they were sent to the principal's office after a fight, and had to clean the hallways every night, for two weeks, together. In eigth grade, they had been stuck together on a science project. In their first year of highschool they had to write a paper together. In sophmore year they were left at the beach alone after their other friends ditched them, and had to find their way back to Nepeta and his family's cabin all on their own. And it went on. And on.

The next day, friday, Karkat went over to Dave's room with one of his favorite movies, an Alternian rom com.

“Karkat, do we really have to watch that?” Dave wined from the couch as Karkat put the DVD in to the player.

“Yes. It's a classic. You just have a shitty taste in movies.”

“No I don't. It's just that I have been forced to watch Nic Cage and Rom coms all my life by you and John. I'm sick of them. There are too many. I also won't watch Squiddles or My Little Pony.”

The movie started and Karkat glared at him, “Shut up and watch.”

It was a typical rom com, and Dave distracted himself by reading the title for the first twenty minutes. About half way through he stoped messing with the couch's stray threads and tried to pay attention.

_Kiss him now._

“What is even going on?”

Karkat sighed and glared at him, “Maybe if you had payed attention to the first part you would know.”

Dave made a sound that Karkat could only compare to a two year old's whining, “But I'm _bored_ ~”

_Kiss him now._

“Just watch the movie! It's actually good! You might learn something about actual fucking culture.”

A few minutes of scilence passed, other than the charecters on the screen calling out eachother's names. Karkat was completly absorbed in it and Dave swore he saw Karkt tearing up.

_Ask him out._

In fact, all he could do was stare at Karkat's face. How his face crinkles slighly around the corners of his mouth when he smiled. How he would blink so one eye was closed slightly longer. How his hands were curled around the blanket he had wrapped himself in. How his feet would move ever so slightly. How he teared up at the end.

 _Woah, what was Dave doing._ He was checking out one of his best friends. It was just a few days ago that he had realized he liked him. And since then Karkat was all he could think about.

_Tell him you like him._

“Hey Karkat.”

_Go for it._

“Yeah?”

_Ask him._

“Do you wanna go to the movies? Just the two of us?”

Karkat stuttered a little, “Y-yeah.” His reply came out weakly.

They ended up sleeping on the couch, curled up together and tangled in blankets.


	3. Addressing the Ignored

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has a little of Terezi.

\--twinArmageddons began pestering carcinoGenisist--

tA: kk where are you

cG: AT THE MOVIES WITH DAVE

tA: woah waiit

tA: you never told me of thii2 recent development

cG:FUCK YOU I DONT NEED TO EXPLAIN MYSELF

tA:yes you do

tA:who else are you going to talk two

tA:bee2iide2 ii want to know

tA:how you fuck up your liife ii2 one of the thiing2 ii liive for

cG:SOLLUX YOU OVERGROWN BULGE MUNCHING HOOFBEAST

cG:KANAYA, OBVIOUSLY

tA:kk, 2hes visitng you two2 parent2, remember and iif ii remember your mother and whatever the fuck 2he ii2 riight, 2he wiill not have tiime two text you.

cG:DONT INSULT MY FAMILY I HATE THEM BUT YOU ARENT ALLOWED TO INSULT THEM IS THAT CLEAR

tA:alriight alriight ii diidnt mean iit

cG:GOOD ENOUGH

tA:ok 2o arent we forgetiing the oriigiinal 2ubject

cG:FINE

cG: THEN TELL ME WHAT TO DO ABOUT DAVE

tA: ii'll tallk two you about iit when you get back

\--twin armegeddeons ceased pestering carcino genisist--

cG: SOLLUX YOU FUCKER I NEED AN ANSWER NOW

Karkat put his phone and looked back at Dave, absorbed in the movie. It was some action movie that was really just an excuse to make cgi explosions. Dave said that he thought there was going to be a romance, but so far Karkat figured that he was lying.

Kakat had been surprised when Dave asked him out. He hadn't ever shown that sort of interest in him. There was the constant flirting, but both Sollux, and Terezi did that, too. Even Jade, with her attempts at austispicing himself. She didn't know she was though. He had hoped that he and Dave would date for a long time, but never actually thought about what he would do if it actually happend.

It was like when you thought about something all the time, every day, but when asked to explain it you couldn't. He had day dreamed about him and Dave, but actually at the date and actually haivng it happen was completly different than anything that happened in his head. _Wait, this is a_ date. _With Dave fucking Strider._ He thought for the millionth time that day. A _date._

  
After the movie was over, they walked out of the theater in scilence until they were outside.

“So, what did you think?” Dave asked.

“It was a horrible movie. The special effects were aweful, and the acting sucked. You _said_ that there would be some sort of romance. There wasn't any! Not actual romance!” He trailed on as Dave watched him. Karkats hands were busy gesturing and his mouth was pulled into a sort of half frow, half scowl. It was adoble.

“And anyway, next time I get to choose the movie.” He said, then paused, realizing what he just said.

“Next time, Karkles?”

Karkat's face flushed red, “Well, um... Of course theres going to be a next time you idiot!”

Dave just smirked. _Mission accomplished._ He thought. Finally. Since high school Rose and Terezi had been bugging him about Karkat. Terezi made it her personal mission to get them together once Dave had confessed to her about his crush on Karkat. That was right after they had broken up, and in that same disscussion he had come out to her. Thinking back, that was one of the longest and most intense and deep conversations he had ever had with anyone. Terezi was pretty atimant about how had been flirting with her, she said something about pale? Moi-rings? Something.

They got back to their rooms and paused at the hallway, which was reletivly empty.

“I've got to go make sure Sollux ate. I guess that...”Karkat trailed off. Dave was curling and uncurling his fingers around the hem of his shirt.

_Go for it._

Dave leaned in, and kissed him. It wasn't long, or anything like that, because a second afterwards Dave had dissapeaed into his and John's room.

Karkat stood there for a few minutes, he wasn't sure he wanted this. No, he was, just that it was hapening. When he finally opened the door he was met by Sollux standing right there, he had obviously been listening.

“How did it go?”He asked, letting him in and pointing to a chair, “You're bluthing by the way.”

“It was fine.”

“Juth fine?”

“No.... It was nice.”

“Ha! I knew it! You like him more than you admit.”

Karkat opened his mouth to speak but Sollux put his fingers on his lips. “Thoosh. I know you're in _lurve_ with him.”

Karkat knocked his hand away, “Maybe I am.”

Sollux raised his eyebrows, “KK..”

“What?”

“KK you _lurve_ him. And he juth kithed you. I think that thpeakth for hith feelingth.”

“Ok, fine! I do like him a lot....But it was just one date.”

“Eheheh, we'll thee.”

“Sollux what the fuck?!”

Terezi was laying around on her bed with her computer carefully positioned on her chest and her phone thrown down by her feet. Vriska shuffling around franticaly getting ready for her class.

“Ack! Terezi, where did you put my notebook?”

“It's on your desk under the other two notebooks you have there.” Terezi stated with out looking up.

“Oh, there it is!” Vriska glanced at her watch, “Shit! I have to go! See you later.”

“Bye!” Terezi called, even tough she knew Vriska was probably already flying down the hall.

It was wierd, Vriska was being more... Terezi didn't know the word. But she had been actually caring about her grades, and trying to be less mean. Last week she had asked Terezi how to reply to one of Tavros' messages and be polite.

Which was another thing bothering her. Tavros and Vriska had never actually gotten together, but she still was flirting with him. Or trying to flirt. However you said it, Vriska hadn't stopped trying to flirt with him even though Tavros and Gamzee had gotten together a long time ago. _Maybe she still likes him._ No. She couldn't. They had that discussion. Vriska stated that she was over Tavros, and in to someone else now. She didn't specify, and that had set Terezi's heart pounding. Maybe they had a chance. But she wasn't sure she wanted one. They had actually tried to be in a relationship before. Terezi shuddered. That couple months was not fun, and she had tried so long to block it out. Karkat told her that he didn't like the idea of Vriska and her again, and even though she suspected some of that was because he had liked her, she could see why.

But the feeling of Vriska's lips on hers was still there. The adreniline of being together, the fire that burned in her everytime she thought of the other. That all was still there.

_Bzzzztt. Bzzzztt._

Her phone vibrated with a text and Terezi groaned and flung out her hand to find it. There. It was from Aradia. That was weird.

\--apocalypseArisenbegan pestering gallowsCalibrator --

hell0 terezi

H1 4R4D14 WH3R3 H4V3 YOU B33N?

ive been ar0und

Evading the question even know?

NO L1K3 YOU H4V3NT B33N 4ROUND S1NC3 GR4DU4T1ON 4T 4LL WH3R3 H4V3 YOU B33N

i was adeventuring, and my family t00k a trip to the east

it was 0k but i am back n0w t0 start at the c0llege

OH W3LL YOU SHOULD COM3 BY SOM3T1M3 SO W3 C4N C4TCH UP!

yes i sh0uld where are y0u staying

BU1LD1NG TWO ROOM 203 S3COND FLOOR

when sh0uld i c0me

4NYT1M3 NOW WOULD B3 F1N3

0k i will see you there

Terezi scrambled up, closing her computer and pulling her bed into a more prezentable mess. She hopped over to her dresser and switched her ratty sweatpants into jeans. She looked at herself in the mirror and deemed herself presentable. It's not good to make a bad impression on people who you haven't seen in years.

It was nice, the group of friends that had completly fallen apart, coming back together. It had been a slow detirioration, and after they graduated they all fell out of touch. She had gone around and collected her old friends. Dave and Karkat, Sollux being dragged along, Vriska wasn't optional because of their room situation, but Nepeta and Tavros were. They were getting along again. Well, sort of. There were problems, and tensions still. Namely, her boys Dave and Karkat. That had to be fixed.

They had been in love with eachother for a while, each confiding this to her seperatly and unknowing of the other's feelings. It was a big relif to make that step though, because since she and Dave broke off their relationship, she had been waiting for them to get together. It was a job that she and Sollux had taken into their hands. A mission, and just for the causes.

Terezi jumped at the knock on her door, and went over to open it.

Aradia was waiting there, her hair was still wild, her horns still curly, and wearing almost the same outfit she had worn a year before. Terezi smiled, most likely showing her teeth, “Hey!”

Aradia beemed back, “Hello!” She paused as the teal blood continued to look her up and down, “Let me in?”

“Oh, of course.” Terezi stepped back and shut the door behind her.

“So how have you been?”

Thanksgiving break was coming up fast, and eveyone was making plans. Terezi had yelled at Dave long enough to invite Karkat to his family's celebration.

“ _Dave, take Karkat to meet your family or so help me-”_

“ _Ok, ok. But don't you think that it would be moving a little fast?”_

“ _No you idiot. Besides, he told me that he was dragging you off to meet his.”_

 _Oh shit,_ Oh hell fucking shit. You did not want to do that. But if you were bringing him to endure your drunk mother, Dirk and Jake being all over eachother, Roxy and Rose stealing said mother's liquor and dissapearing leaving Kanaya and yourself sitting akwardly in the living room, you could deal wiht his family.

Speaking of Karkat, Dave had promised that you'ld walk him to his class this afternoon. _Shit, now you have to get up Dave,_ he thought. But he did anyway. He pulled on a shirt and secured his shades. Walking out the door, he was met by Sollux Captor.

“Hey, thit thatin, KK'th waiting for you.”

“What got up your ass?”

“I have to go home and attend to my horrible family. Terezi and I are leaving thith afternoon.”

“Oh, when are you getting back?”

“Thunday.”

“See you then.”

The troll grunted in response and wandered off, leaving Dave to the task at hand.

“Sup Karbaby”

Karkat went over to the human poking his head in throught the door, “Finally, you couldn't have waited longer, could you? Anyway,” He said, steering them out of the building, “I have been ordered to take you home for thaksgiving.”

“Trolls celebrate thanksgiving?”

“Of course, we don't live in the same country as you?”

“Never mind, anyway, you're supposed to come to mine, too.”

“Let me guess, Terezi ordered it.”

“Let me guess, Kanaya told you to.”

Karkat opended and closed his mouth trying to find a comeback, “Touche”

“So how big is this family you speak of? It's weird, i've known you for years and never been to your house.”

“There's me, and my brother Kankri, who is the most annoying fuck I've ever had the misguidence to be related to. Then my half sisters Nepeta and Meulin, who can be a little weird but I guess I can stand them for the most part. Our parents are matesprites, and my dad's mother is Kanaya and Porrim's mom. I can't stand them either, except for Kanaya I guess.”

“Wow. That's a lot of people. Doesn't that mean that Kanaya is your aunt?”

“No. Since my dad's adopted and they were raised as cousins."

Dave nodded again. For all the timehe had known Karkat they had never talked about their families that much.

"There are a lot of people, and on holidays, it doesn't stop there. The Captors and sometimes Terezi come over. Then it gets insane.” Karkat continued.

He watched Karkat rant for a little while longer. He was in for a handful meeting these people.

“-So then Kanya and I just go to the back yard. Anyway, I've told you about the people I very sadly am forced to interact with, what about your's?”

“Well, as you know, Rose and me are siblings, and Dirk and Roxy, too. Dirk and I were raised by our dad, though we just called him Bro, and then he died,” Dave trailed off for a second, “So now we live with our's and the Lalondes' mom. She's a crazy drunk just like my sisters and when the three of them are in the same room it gets crazy.”

He and His brother had actually moved out, his brother getting an apartment near the mechanics job he had, and Dave getting a dorm at the college. Roxy still lived at home, though she spent a lot of time at the Crocker's house. Rose had a dorm too, but Jade reported she was never there. Probably at Kanaya's.

"So do you know why Terezi wanted me to come to _your_ family thing?"

"No. I'm just as conused as you are, Karbabe."

"Woah I was trying to have a serious conversation."

"What? No flirting allowed? That's boring!"


	4. Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving break finally came and so did the emails from their parents. Dirk was picking them up the day before, and the next afternoon they had to be at the Maryam's.

“Can you belive this? It's like a two day parade! Come and see us! Only there Wednsday and Thursday!”, Karkat had ranted, the morning before.

They were standing outside on the curb, Rose and Kanaya had already left. Nepeta had offered to have Feferi give them a ride, but Dave told him that it was best if he met Dirk before they actually got there.

“Dirk is the shit man, he's awesome. We're a lot alike.”

“Is he the one that would attack you at recess? With those weird as fuck triangle shades?”

“Yeah, that's him. You've met him before, remember?”

“Not entirely.”

They sat in scilence for a few minutes until Dirk's car rolled into the drive way.

“Hey lil'man. How's the scholors life going for you?” He said, getting out of the car and opening the trunk.

“Good. It's better than high school.” Dave retorted as he lifted his suitcase into the back.

Dirk nodded, adjusting his shades, which Karkat honestly was creeped out by, he looked over the troll.

“So you're the infamous Karkat Vantas that Dave and John rave about. Nice to formally meet you. That troll girlfriend you had talked about him too,” He noted to Dave, who nodded in agreement.

“Karkat likes Kitkats.”

“I do not.” Karkat paused, “Wait.. Dave you douche!”

Dirk laughed, “Well you're cute. Let's go.” He went over to the front and got back into the car. Karkat glared at Dave.

“What does that mean?”

“It means he likes you, calm down.”

The car ride was about two hours long, and a lot of that was the brothers catching up. They rolled into the driveway around three o'clock. Karkat got out and looked at the house. It was huge, and as a troll living in the slums of the city, it was a mansion. Dave and his brother seemed to be used to it. So he followed them up to the door way which swung open with out need of knocking.

“Davey!” A tall blond woman slured as she grabbed him into a hug. She opened her eyes and saw Karkat, “And you must be Karkit, Korkit, no. Karkat.” She grabbed him into a hug which he couldn't return since she had his arms pinned.

“Right, come in.” She moved out of the way and they came into a living room.

Rose and Kanaya were on the couch, and Roxy curled up in an arm chair next to them laughing loudly. They looked over and waved a hello.

Dave motioned to the staircase, “Lets go upstairs, and drop off our bags.” Karkat nodded and hauled his backpack up the stairs and across a hall to what he assumed was Dave's room. Well, not entirely. It had smuppets and hats everywhere too.

“Dirk and I share a room. These god-aweful smuppets that he insists on leaving every where I told him to clean up.”

“Who was the lady that opened the door?”

“That was my mother. She's drunk. I don't think that Rose is yet and it's hard to tell with Roxy because half the time she pretend to be, so you have a few hours before things get weird.” Dave was talking as he moved things around so there was space on what Karkat assumed to be his half of the room.

They went back downstairs and sat next to Rose and Kanaya. _Thank gog Kanaya's here so I'm not completly lost._

“How was the ride over?” Kanaya asked.

“It was ok.”Karkat said, staying quiet. It was fucking awkward and he wished he never had to do it again.

They sat around until Jane, _Jane was coming?,_ showed up and then they moved into the dining room.

The dining room was extravagant, and cluttered. The whole house was full of strange shit. Karkat wondered how they even got around. Dave's mom was a relatively good cook, and apparently Roxy had helped. They made small talk for a while, and then Mom Lalonde turned to Karkat.

“So... Karkat.You're dating Davey.” She pointed out.

Dave spit out what he was drinking and Karkat almost choked on

“So how did you get together, Dave never tells me anything! I want all the gorey details.” Roxy said, jumping a little out of her seat which made Jane jump.

“Mom!” Dave groaned. Dirk looked up from texting his boyfriend to snicker.

“Davey tell us!” Roxy slured, “We already know about Karaya.... Kanaya, come on!”

“We're not dating!” They said in unison. There was a split second of scilence before Rose burst out laughing.

“Really? Because it sure doesn't look like it.”

Karkat growled. It had been one date! One! But it wasn't like he didn't want to...... Ugh. No, he wasn't thinking about this now. Maybe later when he and Kanaya could talk in privite.

“Argh, he just had no where to go today, and we've been hanging out, _platonicly_ so I invited him there is no big deal!”

The rest of Dave's family snickered, and Karkat shot a glance at the human. Dave looked back at him an motioned to go out.

“Come on Karkat, I'm full.”

They got up and left the room, with Dirk and the others cackling, and Roxy wistling one of those 'you're gonna get some' whistles. It was humiliationg and Karkat was blushing profusly once they go tup to Dave's room.

“I'm sorry about them. I think that my mom's just glad that I brought soemone home for the holidays and got over exited.”

“Yeah, I get it. My parents are going to ask, too.“

They sat around for a few more minutes, looking at ecerything but eachother, until Dave got up an dug around in the drawer of his desk.

“I need a smoke wanna come?”

“You smoke?” He'd never seen him smoke before.

“Yeah, sometimes.”

Karkat followed the human out to a balcony and watched as Dave lit the cig and leaned out over the railing. _He was really hot._ Not that he actually thought that or anything.

“So... Where are we at?” Dave asked, still staring out into the sky.

Karkat took a while to answer, “I think that we're at where we were before. Friends.” He bit his lip, _what did he just say?_ “Maybe more, maybe less.”

Dave finished his sentance, “Let's see where this goes then.” He was there for a seconf longer before he got up and walked back into the house without another word.

Karkat stood out there for a while longer until Dave came back out to get him inside. They went inside, and conversation returned to normal, the previous converdation was put aside. Karkat tried to shove it to the back of his mind, but all he could think about was Dave.  
  
He liked Dave's family. Dirk and Roxy were really weird, their mother was strange, and Rose was just Rose. Jane seemed to have the same opion of the Strider/Lalondes. The night passed reletively fast and soon they went to sleep.

The next morning Karkat rolled over and fell off the couch. He heard a yelp and jumped up. There was a cat, black with a pink bow around its neck, running into the other room. What had Roxy called it? Jaspers? It didn't matter. He needed to get up. There was a lot of work to do so his parents didn't flip their shit at him.

Dave woke up by himself, Dirk still fast alseep and snoring as loud as he possibly could. Dave swore he did it on purpose. Still oculdn't be as annoying as Bro was though. He groaned and rolled over attempting to block out the noise with a pillow and failing miserably. _Fuck it,_ He thought, _I should go get Karkat._ After a few minutes he got up, rolling off the bed and wandering around, as ludly as possible, collecting his stuff.

They had breakfast, and then Rose and Kanaya shoved them out the door. The ride felt shorter than last time, but Karkat chocked that up to being able to talk to Dave specifically. Time was always going to fast when he was with Dave.

They got to the house, and before Karkat could go up the stairs Kanaya stopped him.

“You have a hair right here out of place, how did that happen. And look, your collor is crocked.”

She reached out to sooth his collor and Karkat slapped his hand away, “It's fine.”

Dave laughed and Karkat shot him a death glare. They headed up the stairs and rang the door bell.

Karkat heard pounding feet and Kanaya's mother's voice. It was actually his mom that answered the door, Nepeta behind her. His mom smiled and ushered them in.

The house was decorated with cats. The trim on the walls was kittens, there were cat figureines on the end tables, and the plates had cats on them. They didn't have an actual cat, Kankri was allergic. Nepeta and Meulin had tried though, sneeking one in when they were little only to have Kankri tattle and the cat pee on the couch.

“So you must be Dave.” His mother siad, giving him a once over and wispering something to Kanaya's.

“Yeah. Hi.” Dave said, his hand moving to the back of his neck.

“So Dave and I were uh, yeah We'll be back.” Karkat walked through the living room, Dave trailing behind him, And down the hall to his room.

He set down his bag and stopped, “Oh _shit_. What did I just say. What did I just say.”

“Oh my god dude, you really, “Dave couldn't finish his sentance because he was doubled over laughing.

“Thsi is serous, moron. They think we went to my room to fuck!”

“Well did we?”

Karkat threw his hands up and walked into the corner, “Nope. Nope. No. You know what?”

“Yeah, no. I get it.”

There was a pause before Karkat started a whole new topic, “Do you want to see my hermit crabs?”

“Your what?” Dave walked across the tiny room to where Karkat was.

“Hermit crabs. My dad got them for me.” He dug his hand into what used to be a fish tank, “Here's one.”

Karkat pulled one out and set it on his hand. He smiled. A smile, on Karkat's face. He _smiled._

“Woah, Karkat, you're smiling.”

Karkat choose to ignore him, being a tactic that had probably saved Dave's life, “See, they're really cool.”

Dave watched it crawl around on Karkat hand, “Yeah, they're interesting.”

The troll growled, but put the crab back into the cage, “We should get back out there.”

“Face the family after the wild sex you just had. “Dave reached out and ruffled Karkat's hair, brushing his horns. Karkat jumped away from him and his hands flew to his head.

“What did you do!”

“Nothing.”

They bickered for the next few feet into the living room. Dave surveryed the group. Nepeta and Feferi he had met on more than one occasion, Kanaya and Rose, Porrim and Kankri he knew of and had met once or twice before. There were three adults, who he knew to be Karkat's dad, Nepeta's mother, and Kanaya's mother. Karkat went and sat down next to Kanaya. Dave followed suit.

“Karkat how has college been you haven't called me as often as you said you would.” Kanaya's mom said.

“It's like school only all the time and more work.”

“Well actually Karkat, that is an interesting interpertation. Though some others may dissagree with you in the following ways-”

“I didn't even say an opion Kankri.”

Kankri opened his mouth but then he glanced at Porrim. She shook her head slightly. Karkat's dad continued the conversation like nothing happened.

“So you're getting good grades I hope, no son of mine would fail school.”

“No, dad, I'm passing. Why don't you interrogate Kanaya or Nepeta?”

Nepeta's mother, who had been rather quiet, turned to Dave, “So, who are you?”

“His name's Dave Strider.” Karkat said for him.

“I can talk for myself, Karkat.” Dave said.

“Haven't I seen you before?”

“Yeah, I'm Rose's brother and Karkat and I've known eachother for a while.”

“Dave's been around for a while, mom.” Nepeta said, looking up from a sheet of paper.

They went on asking questions about Dave, implying a relationship with Karkat. The said human was sitting on the edge of the couch between his sister and Karkat. Karkat was watching his hands, his fingers were tisting around other fingers. His leg tapping slightly everyonce ina while.

It was eventally 2:30 and time to eat. There was a turkey on the table that Nepeta's mother kept saying she caught herself. Meulin came downstairs towing the older Makara. Dave was a little nervous of him since Gamzee could be dangerous, but there seemed to be no immediate harm coming.

Karkat was bored and tapping his foot. He stopped after he hit something next to his leg. It wasn't the table leg, it was Dave's. He looked up from his lap and into Dave's face. He couldn't see the human's eyes, never had, only his reflection. He was blushing.

“Are you two just going to stare at eachother or do I need to shove your faces next to eachother.” Rose said, making Nepeta and Meulin giggle.

Karkat shook his head and Dave grabbed his fork and shoved it into the mashed potatoes on his plate. He was blushing too, the color showing up on his pale face. The table laughed and that just made Karkat sink lower into his seat. This was a mistake. Why did Kanaya even make him bring Dave home? It wasn't like they were serious. They were, but no. No, they weren't. Dave had that he wanted them to see where it took them. Karkat knew where he wanted them to go, where he had wanted them to go since high school. But he didn't know what Dave wanted and the last thing he wanted to do was scare the human off.

The last thing Dave wanted to do was scare the troll off. All he wanted to do was to be with Karkat, but there were so many ifs and buts. But they had only gone on one official date even though they hung out all the time. What if Karkat was just fooling around and didn't like him that much. Maybe they were both doing that. But Dave was pretty in touch with what was going on inside his head despite not showing it, and he knew that he was in love with Karkat.

They sat in quiet, the scrape of forks as the adults talked. Meulin and Kurloz were still chatting away but not outloud. Kankri was rambling away to no one, maybe Nepeta, but she was still focused on drawing on the paper. Porrim, Kanaya, and Rose were talking. It was calm, calmer than he had expected and calmer than his family. At least to everyone but Dave. His heart was racing.

Eventually they started talking small talk again, and then it was time to clean up. Kanaya and Rose pulled them out the door and they headed back to the college. Nepeta stole a ride with them, looking over at the boys and laughing every once in a while. They were squished into the backseat. It was almost as close as when the group went to the summer cabin and had seven people in the car, along with an extra two in the back. Karkat had ended up sitting on Daves lap, Sollux and Eridain making fun of them the entire way.

They got back to their dorms and walked up the hall, Karkat was rambling about how ugly the carpet was again. Dave thought it was ugly too. They must have ripped it right off of the bowling ally and slathered it on. The wall paper wasn''t flattering either, though Karkat didn't seem to have a problem with it.

“So I am about to drop dead I'm so tired. See you tomorow?” Dave said, pulling out the key to his room.

“Yeah, see you then. He grabbed the key to his room and opened it up. He paused and turned around.

Karkat pressed his lips to the humans and then raced into his room. Dave smirked, his hand lifting to his face as he walked in.

“Sup Egbert.” He greeted him, dropping his bags next to his bed.

“Hey Dave,” He replied closing his computer, “So I have a question.”

“Yeah?”

“Does anyone consider Jade my cousin?”

“Well, you could be, but no not really. I thought that your grandparents met way after your dad was born?”

“Well yeah I was just making sure.” John bit his lip.

“Why?”

“We, uh, we kind of kissed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note-Nepeta and Meulin are Karkat's half sisters and the disciple isn't his biological mother. I have a chart if anyone has questions on the family groups or relationships.  
> Another Note-Sorry this chapter whisked by so fast I just need to get them back.


End file.
